Seek the Lord!

Feast of All Saints

01 November 2019

First reading                                                                        Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel.
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that nobody could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Second reading                                                          1 John 3:1-3

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Gospel                                                                     Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Reflection

By Pietro S. Albano

Our Rosary group here in Nottingham has just concluded our October devotion. In one of the homes where we held the devotion, I shared a reflection that we were made to share in God's glory. My view is, if we are happy for everything that God has given us - life, family, work, food, clothing, etc. - how much happier we will be if we can see Him face-to-face in heaven. Wala na tayong hahanapin pa! (We wouldn't look for anything else!) 

As I mentioned heaven, I couldn't help talking about hell. A priest once said that what is painful in hell is not the fire, but the absence of God. It's like being left to your own devices without any assurance of being saved.

Today, we remember all the saints - canonized or not - who now enjoy the presence of God. These people, coming from all walks of life, have soldiered through the night of sin and death, focusing all their efforts to please God. In the eyes of the world, these people may not be successful, but in the eyes of God they are His faithful friends. 

God desires every person to be saved, to share in His glory one day. Like the saints, let us always seek the Lord: in our poverty of spirit, in the many times we mourn over the plight of the oppressed, in our meekness amidst an "eye for an eye" society, in our hunger for justice, in showing compassion to the unlovable, in being single-minded in our service, in being agents of peace among our neighbors, and in remaining faithful in spite of people turning against us. 

God looks forward to our coming to heaven, to be counted among the saints in the future. How about us?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are always after our salvation. Through the intercession of all the saints, may we always strive to seek You in all we say and do so that we would one day be united with You in heaven. In Jesus' name. Amen.